Drive resumed, 5 marriage palaces razed in Aravalli belt

Tribune News Service

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Faridabad, September 22

Resuming the demolition drive against the illegal constructions and encroachments on forestland in the district, the Municipal Corporation Faridabad (MCF) razed five farmhouses functional as marriage palaces in the Surajkund area today.

The total farmhouses demolished so far has reached 14, it was reported. Acting in compliance with the Supreme Court order, the authorities had demolished around nine farmhouses last month.

“The drive launched on Wednesday morning at around 10 am led to the demolition of five farmhouses converted into marriage gardens or palaces till 5 pm,” said OP Kardam, a duty magistrate for the drive.

He said the drive would continue till all constructions were removed in compliance with the court order. While the last drive that was started on August 10 had only been able to remove only nine of the marriage places, it got suspended after about 10 days. The revival has come after the recent hearing of the matter in the SC, which has directed the authorities concerned to submit the status report about the existence of the illegal structures on the forest land soon.

Claimed to be a challenge bigger than the drive at Khori village carried in July, the authorities had been charged with failure in curbing the land mafia, which is reported to have occupied over 1,000 acres of forest land. The Forest Department had identified around 130 such constructions in the survey carried out about two years ago. A majority of the farmhouses havecome up on the panchayat land of Lakadpur, Kot, Anangpur, Mewla Maharajpur, Ankhir and Badkhal villages protected under Sections 4 and 5 of the PLPA, it was reported.